Emma Watts
Emma Watts is an award-winning writer and director with over 15 years of experience working in factual television in Australia and the USA. Emma specialises in creating science and arts programming. She has produced and directed content for Discovery Science, BBC, Hulu, CNN, PBS, Discovery ID, The World Science Festival and every Australian network and broadcaster.
Most recently Emma wrote and directed Last Chance To Save A Life for SBS. This documentary is a science thriller that paints a vivid portrait of an elusive 100- year-old therapy that could hold the key to humanity’s survival. Emma followed critically ill patients battling superbug infections, who were presented with new hope from the unlikeliest of sources: viruses. Bacteriophages – or ‘phages’ for short’ - are nature’s viral warriors. These ancient viruses prey upon deadly bacteria with astonishing precision.
“Last Chance to Save a Life” weaves together two parallel narratives—the race against time as the scientists seek to tame the viruses’ wild nature, and the intimate stories of patients fighting to survive. Each patient is out of conventional medical options, so they will be injected with trillions of phages in the hope they can defeat their bacterial enemy. Neither the scientists nor the patients know if this radical approach will work.
In this gripping real-time narrative, the power of human resilience shines brightly as patients and their families expose the reality of the failure of antibiotics; from the heartbreaking goodbyes of loved ones, to finding hope in unexpected recoveries. In an emotional climax, the film unveils the complexity of phage therapy, and the tantalising glimmers of hope that promise to redefine medicine’s future.
Since returning to work in Australia in 2020, Emma directed and co-wrote ‘Invisible Wars’ a 3-part series for the ABC hosted by Dr. Norman Swan that tracks the history of infectious disease. She wrote and directed ‘How To Live Younger’ a 3-part health/science series that cuts through the wellness hype, and was the additional director on Sonya Pemberton's film ‘Cracking COVID’. Most recently she directed Tony Armstrong in ‘A Dog's World’ and Lawrence Leung in 'Our Brain', both for the ABC.
She is also the creator and director of the award-winning ‘A Diary From The Frontline’ digital series for PBS in the US. This moving series tracked frontline healthcare workers at home and in the hospital as they faced the COVID-19 pandemic.
During her 5 year stint in NYC, Emma was also Head of Content at Sierra Tango Productions, Head of Digital at Ikana Health and Media, Lead Video producer at the World Science Festival, as well as a senior producer for Discovery ID.
Emma is the founder of Green Bean Pictures - a boutique production company specialising in unique documentary content. Under this banner, Emma developed, directed and was the executive producer of the documentary series "No Strings Attached" for ABC2 and iView. The series received rave reviews in the press, the Sydney Morning Herald called it “Masterful”, Pedestrian TV said it was “damn funny viewing” and HER magazine described the show as “genius”. This original series won a stash of 'best documentary' and 'most original series' awards at digital festivals worldwide and has secured international distribution through NBCU. You can check out all 10 episodes here.
Emma cut her teeth at the ABC. She worked for 5 years creating segments and documentary content for the national weekly arts program “Art Nation”. In this role, she directed two documentaries “The Wonderful World of Professor Cardoso” and “Symphonia Eluvium” that aired on ABC1.
Emma has secured several rounds of television funding through Screen Australia and Film Victoria. She loves creating authentic, unique and engaging content and is always on the look-out for new projects.